Friday, August 19, 2011

Home by Marilynne Robinson

 

                                

 

  • Paperback: 339 pages
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
  • Publisher: Virago Press 2009
  • Source: Another Bookcrosser
  • First Sentence : ”Home to stay, Glory! Yes!” her father said and her heart sank.
  • Review Quote :’One of the saddest books I have ever loved’ Sarah Churchwell, The Guardian.
  • My Opinion: A novel where the words and thoughts of the characters are its strength.
  • Favourite Quote: She said “The girls in this family got named for theological abstractions and the boys got named for human beings.”
  • Awards: Winner of the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction.

     

    When I added this title to My Wishlist although I had heard of this contemporary American novelist I had not read any of her novels. I was delighted when thanks to another Bookcrosser  this book arrived in the post as a surprise. This is one of the great things about Bookcrossing the generosity of those people willing to share books with others around the world.

    The central theme of the novel is the parable from the Bible of The Prodigal Son. Jack Boughton is the prodigal son, returning home after twenty years and attempting to rebuild his relationship with his father and siblings. He left with a drink problem and emotional problems which have got worse not better during his long absence.                       The female protagonist of the three main characters is Glory, also running away from her life, using the excuse of returning home to care for her dying Father. Glory is the youngest of the Reverend’s eight children and the only one free to nurse him. She also has secrets that burden her as her life has not been a conventional one for small town America in the fifties.                             The Reverend Robert Boughton is an old man for whom Christianity is a way of life. Although he knows he is dying, finds it impossible to give Jack the opportunity to talk to him about his problems, despite the fact he has always been his favourite child.

    A very moving book about families, love, death and faith, where as there is not much action the words and thoughts of the characters are the strength.

    The author accepting the Orange Prize for Fiction.

  • Marilynne Summers Robinson was born on November 26th 1943 and grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho, is an American novelist and essayist.  Her first novel, Housekeeping (1980) , received the PEN/Hemingway award for best first novel as well as being nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her second novel, Gilead (2004) , won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and her third, Home (2008), won the Orange Prize for Fiction.

    Marilynne Robinson reads from her  novel "Home"

  •  

    Uploaded by msarvas on Oct 23, 2008
     
  • Information for this post is with thanks to the following websites.

    Amazon - Author's Page - Marilynne Robinson

    Wikipedia - Marilynne Robinson

    YouTube

     

    What We're ReadingWhat We're Reading

    Do pay a visit to this linky to find out what others around the world are reading.